Ties that bind
by momac
Summary: Set post Endgame. Kathryn’s adherence to protocol leaves Voyager’s Commanding Officers tied up in knots…literally. Note…this story assumes an ongoing relationship between J/C. A version of this short piece was originally posted as part of th


Disclaimer – Sorry folks I'm sure we all know this bit off by heart. I own nothing; Paramount owns everything except the words on this page. I am making absolutely no money from this and still I spend hours slaving over it … hmmm now why does that equation not add up!

Summary – Set post Endgame. Kathryn's adherence to protocol leaves Voyager's Commanding Officers tied up in knots…literally. Note…this story assumes an ongoing relationship between J/C. A version of this short piece was originally posted as part of the JCUK Advent Calendar, 2003.

Rating – J/C General

Ties that bind  
  
Momac 2003

**  
  
**'Damn it Kathryn, would you stop squirming around so much, you'll only tighten the knots further.'  
  
He tactfully omitted to mention the other side-effects of such close contact but she'd discover the truth soon enough if she kept rubbing up against him like that.'  
  
'Admirals...don't...squirm!'  
  
She glared at him from behind a curtain of auburn hair; her eyes alight with the fire of battle. He knew he was walking on thin ice given her reaction to his now exhausted repertoire of bondage jokes but he couldn't resist. Where she was concerned, he never could...  
  
'They do if I do this.'  
  
Leaning forward he buried his face in the mass of hair gathered on her shoulders, inhaling her scent as his lips zeroed in on the sensitive flesh just below her ear.  
  
'Chakotay!'  
  
What had started out as fury melted into a moan as she collapsed against him.  
  
'Q was right. You are angry when you're beautiful.'  
  
'Aghhhh!'  
  
The glare was back, boring a hole in the middle of his forehead.  
  
'Don't mention **_his _**name. All we need now is for him to appear and I swear my life is over.' She turned her attention back to the knots that bound her hands together. 'Things are bad enough without adding Q to the mix.'  
  
'Relax Kathryn. After all, its not as if we're in any real danger...though I admit this might put a dent in that kick-ass reputation of yours.'  
  
Gritting her teeth, Kathryn growled menacingly at the man trapped within her embrace.  
  
'Memo to me. Maim you once I've finished with that damned Vulcan.'  
  
'Be reasonable Kathryn...' Chakotay punctuated his words with a stolen kiss. '...Tuvok did warn us about the war games scheduled for Christmas Eve. It was just our bad luck that the first people we bumped into in Starfleet HQ were a bunch of heavily armed Cadets...'  
  
She snarled at him this time.  
  
'I don't remember you being this understanding when they grabbed us and demanded that we reveal the location of the 'enemy' HQ, or suffer the consequences.'  
  
'You have to admire their nerve.'  
  
'What about when they accused us of being imposters, sent in by Tuvok to spread mis-information?'  
  
'I'll admit that comment about your lack of height was pushing it. But they handled themselves well. Let's face it, they could have tied us up separately to the railings over there. Instead I get to hold you in my arms.'  
  
He kissed her again, nibbling on her lips until her felt a reluctant smile tugging at them.  
  
'If I remember correctly the games terminate at 0100, which means...'  
  
Chakotay glanced over at the chronometer on the far wall, pausing for a moment as he watched a new day being born.  
  
'...Merry Christmas, Kathryn.'  
  
She followed his gaze, her frown dissipating as she read the time displayed there...0001 and 20 seconds precisely.  
  
'Merry Christmas to you too. This wasn't quite how I'd planned to spend Christmas Eve but then when has anything we've been involved in gone exactly to plan.'  


Chakotay's reply faded from him mind as she leant forward to steal his breath with a kiss. It was several minutes before he'd recovered sufficiently to utter a coherent sentence.  
  
'Not that I'm complaining...but what was that for?'  
  
'For not saying "I told you so."' Kathryn paused, resting her forehead against his. 'We wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't insisted on filing that damned report in person.'  
  
'I wouldn't have dreamed of mentioning that...well, not till after you'd vented your frustration on a certain Vulcan and his merry band of cadets.'  
  
His words drew her thoughts back to the bindings around her wrists. Relaxing into his embrace she let his words flow over her, drawing comfort from his nearness.  
  
'Perhaps St Nicholas will stop by on his way with a sharp knife and a compression phaser rifle.'  
  
'A girl can never have enough weaponry, but I think we can do without the knife.'  
  
Kathryn grinned in triumph as she withdrew her arms from around him.  
  
'How the hell did you do that?'  
  
'That, my darling...is for me to know and you to find out.'  
  
With a mysterious smile she turned her attention to his bindings, her fingers making light work of the complex set of knots.  
  
'Okay, Houdini. Now what?'  


'Oh no…my parts done. You're the expert when it comes to guerilla warfare. Impress me!'

Laughter echoed off the walls as he picked her up and twirled her around.  
  
'I love you Kathryn Janeway...did I mention that lately?'  
  
'I love you too. Now stop stalling and get us out of here.'  
  
'Yes, ma'am.'  


Epilogue

  
It was another hour before the door to their makeshift prison cell opened. Three cadets stepped nervously into the room, their faces turning a sickly shade of green as they realised the room was empty.  
  
'It would appear that the Admiral left you a message.'  
  
Tuvok's voice cut through their misery, directing their eyes to the words scrawled across the far wall in what looked suspiciously like lipstick.

  
  
MY OFFICE  
0900 MONDAY  
BRING A TOOTHBRUSH  
  
K. Janeway, Admiral  


  
'We're dead.'  
  
It was a statement of fact rather than a question and earned the Cadet in question what had become affectionately known throughout the Academy as 'the eyebrow.'  
  
'That would appear to be the logical conclusion...'  


The End  



End file.
